Sudan spy chief calls for the eradication of rebel groups

April 4, 2014 (KHARTOUM) –The director of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), Mohamed Atta, called on the Great Lakes states to “eradicate” Sudanese rebel groups due to their “subversive activity” on the borders between Sudan and South Sudan.

Atta said in his address before the Great Lakes region security chiefs in Khartoum on Thursday that progress which has been made by the Sudanese government in peace agreements should encourage the Great Lakes states to fight against rebel groups of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF).

The Sudanese official further called for supporting the joint intelligence fusion centre in order to enable it carry out its mission regarding tracing of foreign funding for “the negative forces”.
Sudan’s spy chief affirmed Sudan’s determination to fight against “subversive activity” of the rebels inside its territory, accusing the latter of committing grave crimes against innocent civilians including killing and displacement of civilians besides looting and burning their private property.

Sudan accuses South Sudan and Uganda of supporting and harbouring rebel groups from South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur region. However, Juba denies backing the Sudanese insurgent and recently agreed with Khartoum to reactivate a joint border monitoring force.

He held states which support rebel groups fully responsible for the suffering of the innocent population. He further called for concerted efforts of the Great Lakes region in order to achieve immediate political solutions for the crises in South Sudan and the Central African Republic and avoid prolonged conflicts in the region.

Juba recently accused some foreign hands of supporting the rebel SPLM-In-Opposition which fight Juba government since last December. Also, the Eritrean government denied any alleged support to the rebel group headed by Riek Machar.

Also the South Sudanese authorities showed some worry about the presence of rebels near the joint border with its northern neighbour and dispatched military officials to discuss the matter with their Sudanese counterparts.

The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) is a regional security initiative comprised of 12 member states including Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.

(ST)